Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief spokesperson, Naeem Akhtar Monday termed the ruling National Conference a ‘political spent force’ and said the organisation is now crumbling under the weight of its own ‘sins and misdeeds.’“The National Conference as an organisation is breaking and it has now become a group of few inpiduals, under the banner of once strong party of the state, who have no political standing and credibility among the people,” he said while addressing a function here to welcome former deputy mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation, Hakeem Ghulam Mohammad and senior NC activists from Zadibal constituency, Sonaullah Gudda and Imran Bhat into the PDP.
Akhtar claimed the National Conference leadership has always used the people’s mandate for its own welfare instead of working for the welfare of the state. “The only noticeable thing the National Conference leadership could do over the decades in Jammu and Kashmir is to build up huge wealth and properties for themselves by sucking the blood of innocent common Kashmiris. That is one of the reasons of its downfall,” he said.
He said from Sonwar in Srinagar to South Africa; Delhi to Dubai; Mumbai to Manhattan; Leh to London there is no place left on the earth where the National Conference leadership don’t have properties and the people have every right and freedom to ask them where from they have got all this.
Akhtar said since its inception, the National Conference has been trading state’s authority, its natural assets and the people’s aspirations to seek power for the members of Abdullah family both and in and outside the state and the people have now understood its bad policies, treachery and deceitful tactics and will teach them lesson in this election.He said because of the bad governance, corruption and lack of political direction in the state under the present regime for last six years the well-meaning people from the NC are leaving it and getting attracted to the PDP. Akhtar said the lack of leadership qualities in the Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, which even his “best” friend-Rahul Gandhi-has agreed to, has got further ruin to NC and its mandate has become a liability now.
Terming Zadibal constituency a gold mine of talent, Akhtar said the area is rich in terms of human resource. He said the Kashmiri Handicrafts known for their artistic work and grandeur which have given a global identity to Kashmir, is mostly being manufactured by the master craftsmen of Zadibal. He said the PDP is having a big plan for the promotion of the area by harnessing its potential so that the manufactures and others involved with the trade would get better returns.Akhtar said the PDP is having the credit of establishing Craft Development Institution, Indian Institute of Carpet Technology, Common Facility Centre and Institute of Design Development in the area for the promotion of the handicrafts sector in the state.
Welcoming the new entrants into the PDP fold, the party candidate for Zadibal constituency said PDP is a viable regional alternative for the people of the state particularly the youth who have faced the maximum brunt the NC’s exploitative politics. He said the Omar Abdullah government has failed on every front over the last six years and that’s why the people’s anger against him has exploded through ballot and the first phase of elections has established that people have realized the power of vote and are using it to bring in a change.